La Academia de los Jovenes
A place of post-war learning, the Academy is one of the highest held institutions in Soto La Marina. Made of fine stone and wood, it is one of the most ornate structures as well, which reflects the admissions fee. History While there have been tutors and home-schooling since the bombs fell, formal learning has been lacking. While groups like the Followers of the Apocalypse try to alleviate this problem, such efforts had not been made in the Papal States. This, combined with the need to ensure the future rulers of the various fiefs were well-learned, would lead to the establishment of La Academia de los Jovenes in 2216. Funded by grants by several nobles and a Papal Bull, construction started in January, as well as a search for the headmaster, though the later involved far more politicking. Each of the involved nobles suggested their own candidates, but Pope Leo turned each down, searching for someone above the petty politics with a more well-rounded level of knowledge. The solution would come from an unlikely source, a rafter who traveled to the States to sell a robot he found. Claiming he found it in a robco facility in Mississippi, the rafter had tried to sell it all along The Gulf Belt, with no one being able to afford it, or that he could trust enough not to rob him. Initially trying to sell it to the harbor master in Huervo Nache, the merchant would hear of the search for a headmaster, and manage an audience with a Vatican aide. During the audience the rafter showed off several holotapes he had found as well, a few of which were education related. The aide saw the potential and paid the merchant a thousand caps, and immediately brought the robot to his liege. The holy father was impressed by the machine, and presented it to his nobles, who despite being less than thrilled, accepted it as a fair compromise. The first semester began in September of 2216 and saw thirteen students studying subjects ranging from theology to accounting. The robot was designated Headmaster and assisted by several human teachers to further smooth any ruffled feathers. The students performed well, all passing the exams in April. The next year saw more students enrolled as other nobles became aware of the results, and by 2225 it had become the accepted custom for a ruler to send their children to the academy. There would be controversy in 2234 about the admissions requirements, as some merchants and wealthier freeman wanted to send their children there, while the original backers wanted it just for the nobility. The debate lasted for months before coming to a head in August, when the question reached Headmaster. The robot declared education was a right for all, and accepted the common children. While some nobles pulled their funding in response, the influx of money from merchants more than covered the loss. Since then the academy has been a bastion of learning for all but the poorest residents of the Papal States. Layout The Academy is a square stone structure covering a city block. It features two dozen classrooms, offices for the teachers with attached apartments, dorms for students of both genders, and a common area in-between. The dorms can fit a hundred each, with two students per room, though it has housed only a-third at any given time. Bath rooms and showers are in each dorm wing, with the staff having their own in their apartment. The basement contains hundreds of yards of pipes, carring steam, waste & water to and from the building. Curriculum The Academy teaches most 'civilized' subjects, and new ones are often proposed by both students and staff. While originally intended to be a theology focused school, most nobles wanted other knowledge given to their children. Students are free to pick their own classes, to reflect both their own interests and needs of their fiefs. Category:Sites Category:Tamaulipas Category:Mexico Category:Places